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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. G. L. THOMAS.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUSI No. 537,133.

Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

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G. L. THOMAS. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS. No. 537,133.

Patented Apr. 9, 1895;

SAFETY THE "cams PETERS cujmawunm, WASHINGTON. a c:

1 UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICE.

GEORGE L. THOMAS, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE HASELL PERFEOTED RAILWAYSIGNAL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 537,133, dated April9,1895.

Application filed April 23, 18 94- To all whom it may ooncerma Be itknown that I, GEORGE L. THOMAS, of

Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Electric Railway Signal Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification.

on the 7th of November, 1893.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aview of the signal armsand the operating mechanism immediately connected therewith in sideelevation, the casing at the head of the tower being shown in section.Fig. 2 is a view taken on the same plane as Fig. 1, showing the positionwhich the parts assume after the signals have been operated from dangerto caution, the position of danger being that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa similar view, showing the position of the parts when the signal hasbeen changed from cau-' tion to safety, and Fig. 4 is a top plan view ofthe parts in the position in which they appear in Fig. 1, the casingbeing shown in section. 7

In illustrating my present invention, I have shown those parts only ofthe general system which intimately co-operate with the signal arms andtheir operating mechanism, it being assumed that suitable electriccircuits under the control of a passing train may be employed toenergize the electro magnets to release the spindle on which theumasterwheel is located and that the spindle shall be mechanically operatedwhen released by'the electro magnets, by a suitable weightor itsequivalent in a manner, such, for example, as that shown,

seen No. 508,600. (No model.)

described and claimed in the Letters Patent above referred to.

The casing of the tower is denoted by A; the spindle which carries themaster wheel by B, the latter being provided with a suitable drivinggear wheel or pinion b, in the present instance a sprocket pinion, withwhich a sprocket chain 19, leading to a suitable drive wheel-not shown,engages to rotate the spindle B when the latter is released. On thespindle B there are located three disks 0, 0', 0 each provided withabutments, in the present instance a tooth, for engaging the ends ofreleasing dogs 0, c, a corresponding to the several disks. A set ofelectro magnets D, D, D are in position to operate the dogs 0, c, 0 whenthe magnets are energized, by elevating the ends of the dogs out ofengagement with the abutments on the disks. The abutments on the disksare so arranged that in the present instance the spindle B will bepermitted to rotate one-third of a revolution when the dog, for the timebeing holding the spindle, is released, before the rotary movement ofthespindle is interrupted by the engagement of one of the other holdingdogs with the abutment on a companion disk; the purpose being to providefor turning the signals consecutively from danger to caution, fromcaution to safety and from safety to danger, the position of dangerbeing the normal position.

,The spindle B is provided with a master wheel E having on its peripherya mutilated gear e and on its side a laterally projecting mutilatedannular flange e. The flange e is broken away for about one-third of itslength more or less and the gear e on the periphery of the master wheelis just sufficient to rock the semaphore arms through an arc of aboutsixty degrees.

, The upper semaphore arm, or that whichwhen extended in a horizontalpositionindicates danger, is denoted by F and the lower semaphore arm,or that which-when extended-denotes caution, is represented by F. Thearms are further distinguished as is common, by their shape and also bytheir colors. They are counterbalanced by weights f, f which,rwhen thearms are left free, are sufficient to throw the arms into theirhorizontal positions. The arm F is secured to a shaft G which extendsthrough the side of the tower to receive the arm thereon exterior to theeasing of the tower and within the tower the said shaft G is providedwith an actuating disk or wheel g, provided on its periphery withmutilated gear 9 adapted to engage-at certain predetermined intervalsthem utilated gear 6 on the master wheel E. The shaft G is further providedwith an arm 11 fixed thereto or to some suitable support itself fixed tothe shaft, the said arm H extending radially away from the shaft andprovided at its free end with an antifriction roller 71. extend:

ing at right angles to the arm and in position to enter the opening inthe flange of the master wheel and take under the flange at the momentthe arm F has been rocked by the master wheel from its normal horizontalposition down into its depressed position, the said antifriction rolleron the arm l-I serving, while engaged under the flange e on the masterwheel, to hold the said arm F depressed against the tendency of thecounterbalance 0 weight to return it to its horizontal position afterthe gear on the master wheel has left its engagement with the gear onthe wheel g. In like manner, the arm F is mounted exterior to the headof the tower on the shaft G carrying a disk or wheel 9 provided with amutilated gear 9 and having fixed to rotate therewith an arm H providedwith an antifriction roller 72. in position to enter the opening in themutilated annular flange on the master wheel and engage underneath theflange when the said semaphore arm F shall have been forcibly depressedby the engagement of the gear on the master wheel with the gear on itsoperating disk g to hold it depressed against the force of itscounterbalance weight, so long as the antifriction roller 71 on the armH shall remain engaged with the flange on the master wheel.

The normal or danger position of the signal arms is that shown in Fig.1, the upper arm standing horizontally and the lower arm depressed. Theposition of caution which the arms are made to assume when released fromthe danger position is that shown in Fig. 2, the lower arm beinghorizontal and the upper arm depressed. The position of safety which thearms are made to assume when released from caution is that shown in Fig.3, in which both arms are depressed and-from this positionthey are againthrown into the position of danger, as shown in Fig. 1. These movementsare accomplished as follows: When the dog whichholds the spindle Binposition to retain the upper semaphore arm horizontal and the lowerdepressed, is released, the spindle will rotate one-third of arevolution before again being arrested by a companion dog and, duringsuch movement, the mutilated gear e on the master wheel E will engagethe gear on the wheel g and will rock the arm F into a depressedposition. This same movement of the master wheel E will release theantifriction roller 7t on the arm H of the signal arm F from the flangec on the master wheel and its counterbalance weight will throw thearminto a horizontal position, the arms thereby assuming the position ofcaution. When the dog which retains the signal at caution is released,the spindle B will again rotate one-third of a revolution and in sodoing, the mutilated gear on the master wheel will engage the gear onthe disk 9 thereby forcing the signal arm F into a depressed position,the flange on the master wheel holding-d uring this interval-the arm Fin a depressed position by the engagement of the antifriction roller hon on its arm H with said flange. This therefore will present the twoarms both in depressed position to indicate safety. When the dog whichretains the signals at safety is released, the spindle B will continueits rotation another one-third revolution and in so doing, the masterwheel will permit the antifriction roller h on the arm H of the signalarm F to escape from its flange and its counterbalance weight willpromptly return it to a horizontal position while the antifrictionroller 71. the arm 11 of the semaphore arm F, will still retain it in adepressed position and the arms will thereby be held in position toindicate danger, the normal position, and in position to again assumethe successive signaling positions described.

It is obvious that slight changes might be resorted to in the form andarrangement of the several parts herein described without departing fromthe spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I do not wish to limitmyself strictly to the structure herein set forth, but

What I claim is-- 1. The combination with a plurality of reciprocatingsemaphore arms mounted at different elevations, of an actuating wheelfor swinging the said arms, means for bringing the arms under thecontrol of the actuating wheel to hold them in position and forreleasing them from the actuating wheel to permit them to operate undergravity, at predetermined intervals during the rotary movement of theactuating wheel, means for applying motive power to the actuating wheeland electric devices under the control of a moving train to release thesaid actuating wheel to operate the arms, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a rotary spindle, means for actuating thespindle and electric circuits including electro magnets for releasingthe spindle at intervals, of reciprocating counterbalanced semaphorearms mounted independently of one another and having operating wheelsfixed to reciprocate with the arms, a master wheel adapted to engage thearm-operating wheels successively, and arm retaining devices havingholding engagements with the master wheel at intervals to retain andrelease the arms, substantially as set. forth.

3. The combination with the rotary spindle and provided with means forengaging the mutilated flanges on the master wheel, snlo- IO stantiallyas set forth.

GEORGE L. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, R. B. SEWARD.

